Maia (25-7) worked his way up to a welterweight title shot by winning seven straight; however, it was all in vain as Tyron Woodley was able to repel the Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard in a long and boring title defense at UFC 214 last July.

Covington (12-1) rebounded from a submission loss to Warlley Alves in late 2015 to capture four in a row, including last June’s unanimous decision win over Dong Hyun Kim at UFC Fight Night 111 in Singapore.

Maia, 37, is ranked No. 3 while Covington, 29, is ranked No. 8.

UFC Fight Night 119 will mark the return of former light heavyweight champion and Brazilian “Dragon” Lyoto Machida, who collides with 185-pound stalwart Derek Brunson in the five-round main event.